Israel strikes Gaza; US works to bring hostages home: The Morning Rundown, Oct. 12, 2023

ISRAEL FORMS AN EMERGENCY GOVERNMENT AS THE DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO RISE IN ITS WAR WITH HAMAS

AND — AUTO WORKERS TAKE THEIR STRIKE TO FORD’S LARGEST PLANT IN THE WORLD.

THE MORNING RUNDOWN STARTS NOW.

TODAY IS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12TH.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

I’M KARAH RUCKER.

THIS MORNING — THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES LAUNCHED AN EXTENSIVE ATTACK ON HAMAS IN GAZA – TARGETING THE MILITANT GROUP’S COMMAND CENTERS AND A HOME OF A SENIOR OFFICIAL THAT WAS BEING USED TO STORE WEAPONS.

THIS COMES AS PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU VOWS TO DESTROY EVERY HAMAS FIGHTER WHOSE ASSAULT ON ISRAEL LEFT MORE THAN 12 HUNDRED PEOPLE DEAD AND CLOSE TO THREE THOUSAND INJURED.

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITIES SAY AT LEAST 11 HUNDRED PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED AND MORE THAN 5,000 INJURED IN GAZA SINCE ISRAEL BEGAN ITS AIRSTRIKES SATURDAY.

ON WEDNESDAY – NETANYAHU AND SENIOR OPPOSITION LEADER BENNY GANTZ ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF AN EMERGENCY WAR-TIME GOVERNMENT – SAYING THEY WERE PUTTING THEIR DIFFERENCES ASIDE BECAUSE THE FATE OF ISRAEL IS AT STAKE.

US SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN ARRIVED IN TEL AVIV TODAY TO SPEAK TO NETANYAHU AS THE U-S HAS PLEDGED ITS SUPPORT TO ISRAEL IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST HAMAS.

THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS KILLED IN THE TERRORIST ATTACK HAS RISEN TO 22 – WITH AT LEAST 17 US CITIZENS MISSING AND AN UNKNOWN NUMBER AMONG THE ESTIMATED 150 HOSTAGES TAKEN BY HAMAS.

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN ON WEDNESDAY SPEAKING TO JEWISH COMMUNITY LEADERS AT THE WHITE HOUSE SAID THERE’S A LOT THE U-S IS DOING TO BRING THE AMERICANS HOME.

“PRESS IS GOING TO SHOUT TO ME – AND MANY OF YOU ARE – WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO GET THESE FOLKS HOME? IF I TOLD YOU I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO GET THEM HOME. FOLKS, THERE’S A LOT WE’RE DOING. I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP HOPE OF BRINGING THESE FOLKS HOME. BUT THE IDEA THAT I’M GOING TO STAND HERE AND TELL YOU WHAT I’M DOING IS BIZARRE.”

IN GAZA — THE ONLY POWER STATION HAS RUN OUT OF FUEL LEAVING THE TERRITORY IN THE DARK.

ISRAEL HAS STOPPED THE ENTRY OF FOOD, WATER, FUEL AND MEDICINE.

AN ESTIMATED 220,000 PALESTINIANS ARE SHELTERING IN UNITED NATIONS RELIEF FACILITIES –

ACCORDING TO THE U-N WHO IS CALLING FOR QUOTE “RAPID AND UNIMPEDED HUMANITARIAN ACCESS.”

THE PALESTINIAN-GAZA STRIP MINISTRY OF HEALTH SAYS SERVICES HAVE REACHED A CRITICAL STAGE AS HOSPITALS ARE WORKING AT FULL CAPACITY AND RUNNING OUT OF SPACE.

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SPOKESMAN JOHN KIRBY SAYS THE US IS WORKING WITH ISRAEL AND EGYPT TO SECURE SAFE PASSAGE FOR CIVILIANS OUT OF GAZA.

KIRBY SAYING  “CIVILIANS ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR WHAT HAMAS HAS DONE.”

REPUBLICANS HAVE SELECTED THEIR CHOICE TO BE THE NEXT SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE –

HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER STEVE SCALISE SECURED THE NOMINATION IN A CLOSED-DOOR, SECRET-BALLOT ELECTION WEDNESDAY –

DEFEATING JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN JIM JORDAN BY A VOTE OF 113 TO 99.

IT HOWEVER REMAINS UNCLEAR WHEN THE HOUSE WILL TAKE AN OFFICIAL VOTE.

SCALISE WILL NEED AT LEAST 217 OUT OF THE 221 REPUBLICANS IN THE HOUSE TO VOTE FOR HIM TO BECOME THE NEXT SPEAKER – FOLLOWING KEVIN MCCARTHY’S HISTORIC OUSTING LAST WEEK.

SOME MEMBERS ARE STILL NOT FULLY BEHIND THE CHOICE —

INCLUDING CONGRESSWOMAN MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE WHO CITED CONCERNS OVER SCALISE’S ONGOING BATTLE WITH BLOOD CANCER, POSTING ON X – “I LIKE STEVE SCALISE – AND I LIKE HIM SO MUCH THAT I WANT TO SEE HIM DEFEAT CANCER MORE THAN SACRIFICE HIS HEALTH IN THE MOST DIFFICULT POSITION IN CONGRESS.”

HOUSE DEMOCRATS MEANWHILE ARE SET TO NOMINATE THEIR LEADER – NEW YORK CONGRESSMAN HAKEEM JEFFRIES.

DESPITE REPORTS OF PROGRESS LAST WEEK BETWEEN THE UNITED AUTO WORKERS AND THE THREE BIG DETROIT AUTOMAKERS – THE UNION EXPANDED ITS STRIKE LAST NIGHT – WITH 8,700 WORKERS WALKING OFF THEIR JOBS AT A FORD TRUCK PLANT IN KENTUCKY.

THE PLANT – WHICH MAKES F-SERIES PICKUP TRUCKS AND SUVS — IS FORD’S LARGEST AND MOST PROFITABLE ONE IN THE WORLD.

THE WALKOUT AT THE KENTUCKY PLANT CAME AFTER A MEETING BETWEEN FORD EXECUTIVES AND UAW PRESIDENT SHAWN FAIN THAT LASTED ABOUT 15 MINUTES WITH NO PROGRESS MADE.

FAIN SAID FORD HAS NOT GOTTEN THE MESSAGE TO BARGAIN FOR A FAIR DEAL AND THAT THIS MOVE SHOULD HELP THEM UNDERSTAND.

FORD CALLED THE KENTUCKY STRIKE “GROSSLY IRRESPONSIBLE” —

UAW MEMBERS BEGAN THEIR STRIKE AGAINST FORD, GENERAL MOTORS AND STELLANTIS ON SEPTEMBER 15.

WITH THIS EXPANSION – THE NUMBER OF UAW MEMBERS ON STRIKE NOW STANDS AT MORE THAN “THIRTY THREE THOUSAND.”

LAST WEEK ON THE MORNING RUNDOWN, WE REPORTED ON A SHOOTING THAT LEFT FIVE PEOPLE INJURED DURING HOMECOMING EVENTS AT MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY IN BALTIMORE. – NOW THE SCHOOL ANNOUNCING IT IS MAKING SOME MAJOR STRUCTURAL CHANGES ON ITS CAMPUS TO PREVENT FUTURE INCIDENTS.

THE HISTORICALLY BLACK UNIVERSITY PLANS ON BUILDING A WALL AROUND MOST OF THE CAMPUS –

THE PLAN WOULD EXTEND EXISTING BARRIERS BY ABOUT 8 THOUSAND FEET – ENCIRCLING 90 PERCENT OF CAMPUS.

UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT SAYS THIS WOULD EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATE UNFETTERED ACCESS – TELLING STUDENTS AND STAFF – THAT THIS IS MEANT TO NOT KEEP OUT THE COMMUNITY BUT QUOTE “BAD ACTORS.”

NO ARRESTS HAVE BEEN MADE IN THE SHOOTING – POLICE BELIEVE IT STEMMED FROM AN ARGUMENT INVOLVING TWO SHOOTERS.

THEY SAY THE FIVE VICTIMS – INCLUDING FOUR MORGAN STATE STUDENTS – WERE LIKELY NOT THE INTENDED TARGETS.

ALL VICTIMS WERE RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL.

FEDERAL DATA RELEASED LAST MONTH SHOWED THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS IN THE US HIT RECORD HIGHS DURING THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR.

THERE WERE 188 SHOOTINGS WITH TWO-THIRDS CAUSING INJURIES AND 57 LEADING TO DEATHS.

MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER BEING STABBED WHILE ON STAGE IN WESTERN NEW YORK, NOVELIST SAL-MAN RUSHDIE ANNOUNCED HE WILL BE RELEASING A MEMOIR ABOUT THE ATTACK THAT LEFT HIM BLIND IN ONE EYE.

RUSHDIE WAS STABBED REPEATEDLY IN THE FACE AND BODY LAST AUGUST WHEN A MAN RUSHED ONTO THE STAGE AS HE WAS PREPARING TO GIVE A LECTURE.

HIS ATTACKER HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY.

IN A STATEMENT RELEASED WEDNESDAY – RUSHDIE SAID IT WAS NECESSARY FOR HIM TO WRITE THE BOOK – ADDING IT WAS QUOTE – “A WAY TO TAKE CHARGE OF WHAT HAPPENED AND TO ANSWER VIOLENCE WITH ART.”

RUSHDIE LIVED IN ISOLATION FOR NEARLY A DECADE AFTER THE SUPREME LEADER OF IRAN ISSUED AN ISLAMIC EDICT – IN 1989 — DEMANDING THE AUTHOR’S DEATH FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF HIS NOVEL — “THE SATANIC VERSES.”

THAT ORDER WAS RESCINDED IN 19-98.

RUSHDIE’S NEW MEMOIR — TITLED “KNIFE: MEDITATIONS AFTER AN ATTEMPTED MURDER” WILL BE PUBLISHED IN APRIL 2024.

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L3: DISNEY RAISES TICKET PRICES FOR THEME PARKS IN FLORIDA, CALIFORNIA

FINALLY THIS MORNING — IF YOU’RE THINKING OF TAKING A TRIP TO A DISNEY THEME PARK — YOU MIGHT HAVE TO SPEND MORE TO EXPERIENCE THAT DISNEY MAGIC.  THE COMPANY HAS ANNOUNCED IMMEDIATE PRICE HIKES ON CERTAIN TICKETS AND PASSES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD IN FLORIDA AND DISNEYLAND IN CALIFORNIA.

WHILE THE COST FOR BOTH PARKS’ BASIC DAY PASSES REMAINS THE SAME – PRICES FOR ANNUAL PASSES FOR DISNEY WORLD ARE INCREASING BETWEEN THIRTY DOLLARS AND FIFTY DOLLARS.

THE MOST EXPENSIVE PASS — THE INCREDI-PASS – NOW COSTING 1,449 DOLLARS – A NEARLY 10% JUMP.

OVER IN CALIFORNIA, DISNEYLAND’S ANNUAL PASS IS INCREASING BETWEEN 3 PERCENT AND 21 PERCENT – DEPENDING ON THE PLAN.

FOR THE HIGHEST ANNUAL PASS AT DISNEYLAND – YOU’LL NOW PAY 1,649 DOLLARS – THAT’S UP FIFTY BUCKS.

LAST MONTH — THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY ANNOUNCED IT WOULD BE INVESTING ROUGHLY SIXTY BILLION DOLLARS INTO ITS THEME PARKS AND CRUISE LINES OVER THE NEXT DECADE.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP STORIES FOR THIS THURSDAY.

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UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS. THAT’S STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.

WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW.

UNTIL THEN I’M KARAH RUCKER. HAVE A GREAT DAY!